Ice, Ice, Baby.

February 24, 2026 Filler

Ice, Ice, Baby.

The Cast

By The Fillerbuster

02/24/2026

I feel bad for a part of our population this week. I know people have kids. I know that people travel. I get that life gets in the way. But, if anyone was SLEEPING on Sunday morning during the USA-Canada Olympic game, then I just don’t understand people. Sure, those people can go back and watch the recorded version. But, with the ending already broadcasted over every media source this week, knowing the ending would sort of defeat the whole purpose. It had to be felt live, with the resolution not understood. In real time, it was…epic.

I was alive during the Miracle on Ice. I was eight years old. Old enough to remember my parents watching it, but not old enough to truly understand the mountain that was being climbed. So, I needed this one. The United States needed this one for the newer generations, and the older generations who were too young the last time around.

The game itself had a little of everything. It was possibly my favorite hockey viewing experience ever. You had the feeling out time, the early USA lead that didn’t appear that would last, the pestering of shots in the second period where Connor Hellebuyck was standing on his head for the country, the tying goal where you felt impending doom, the emotionally draining 5 on 3 time that took literally forever, the 3 on 3 OT period where everyone knows that anything can happen, the victorious goal, and then…the kids.

Sports is sports. We recognize the bad and good games. We make lists about all-timers. We love the competition. But, somehow it transcends just being sports in certain perfect moments. Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were struck by a drunk driver while biking at night on Aug. 29, 2024. Both died. He would have been on this team, and you could tell by the activities after the winning score, that Johnny Hockey never really left the team. The fact that they brought his jersey with them overseas and the jersey even had its own locker and nameplate. The fact that bringing out his jersey was one of the first things they did. The fact that carrying his jersey seemed almost more important than their newly received gold medals. The fact that they all had some obvious sad emotion on their face that somehow hid what should have been just winning smiles. The fact that when they went to get his kids from the stands, the kids didn’t even blink. They obviously were cared for by the team for the past two years with loving memories and missing sentiments. The moment was happy. The moment was sad. The moment was perfect. Johnny Hockey probably enjoyed it from above.

A couple of odd notes.

The 3 on 3 overtime might make some hockey purists upset, but if there is a percentage of a system that should be for fans, it doesn’t get better in any other sporting event. I actually thought that might be our downfall, with Canada having more skills players. But the closeness was obvious, the teamwork showed through, and they were so in sync.
A hot goalie has led a team to the Stanley Cup before. In this instance, the stress was insane, and Connor stopping shot after shot, with the viewer knowing that the dam could break at any moment, was magical.
If you watched it and were rooting for your NHL players on the other team, come on…
A rivalry truly only becomes a rivalry when both teams win a couple of games. It can’t be one-sided. Mission accomplished for four years from now. We know Canada is better overall to a point, but on this day, we proved to be better.
When you get a bunch of players from various teams together, forming that brotherly bond sometimes doesn’t happen. With this USA team, that bond is obviously strong. Player to player. Player to country.
The transparency of the Hughes interview afterwards was also moving. He just didn’t say he loved playing for his country. You could really FEEL that love.
When I watch sporting events, even my Cavs or Steelers, I am very calm. I don’t yell at the screen. I don’t get too up or down. You probably can’t even tell who is winning if just looking at my face. For this game, I was standing up two feet in front of the screen during the 5 on 3. When we won, I yelled perhaps the loudest I have ever yelled when not in a stadium at the event. My dogs even got scared and consoled me as I sunk back on the couch. New behavior for them.

I hope you had a great excuse for missing the game. Otherwise, shame on you. The game was special in so many ways. We have had sports help us after wars, pandemics, and mass shootings. On Sunday, sports did it again.